Whenyeverymuscletothefull—duderaspear-pointhere，leapihere，lungingfback，wheelinground—youhaven'tmuchtimetofeeleitherfrightenedorsad。Tirianknewheothihersnow;theywerealldoomedtuelysawtheBodownononesideofhim，aingfuriouslyooftheerofoonlyjustsaw，abigenepullingJillawaysomewherebyherhair。Buthehardlythoughtaboutahings。Hisonlythoughtnowwastosellhislifeasdearlyashecould。Theworstofitwasthathe'tkeeptothepositioniarted，uerowhoisfightingadozeoakehisceswhereverhe;mustdartinwhereverheseesanenemy'sbreastuarded。Irokesthismaygetyouquiteadistahespan。Tiriansoonfouingfurtheraheright，hestable。Hehadavagueideainhismindthattherewassomegoodreasawayfromit。Buthe'tthereasonwas。Andanyway，he'thelpit。
Allatcamequiteclear。Hefoundhewasfightiarkaahebowasleftofit）wasstraightinfront。Hewasinfagintheverydoorwayofthestable，forithadbeewoeneswereholdingthedoor，readytoslamitshutthemomenthewasinside。Herememberedeverythingnow，ahattheenemyhadbeenedginghimtothestableonpurposeeversibegan。Ahinkiillfightiarkaanashardashecould。
AnewideatoTirian'shead。Hedroppedhissword，dartedforward，ihesweepoftheTarkaan'sscimitar，seizedhisehebeltwithbothhands，andjumpedbatothestable，shouting:“eiashyourself!”
Therewasadeafeningnoise。Asehadbeenfluhshookandtherewasablindinglight。
Theesidescreamed。“Tash，Tash!”ahedoor。IfTashwaheirotain，Tashmusthavehim。They，atawaash。
ForamomentortwoTiriandidnotknoasoreveheeadiedhimself，blinked，andlookedaround。Itwasnotdarkiable，ashehadexpected。Hewasinstronglight:thatasblinking。
&olookatRishdaTarkaan，butRishdawasnotlookingathim。Rishdagaveagreatoihishandsbeforehisfadfellflat，fawards，ontheground。TiriahedirewheretheTarkaanhadpoiheood。
Aterriblefigurewas。Itwasfarsmallerthaheyhadseehoughstillmuchbiggerthanaman，anditwasthesame。Ithadavulture'sheadandfourarms。Itsbeakenanditseyesblazed。Agvoiceitsbeak。
“ThouhastcalledmeintoNarnia，RishdaTarkaan。HereIam。Whathastthoutosay?”
ButtheTarkaaedhisfathegroundnorsaidaword。Hewasshakinglikeaman。HewasbraveenoughihalfhiscehadlefthimearlierthatnightwhebegaheremightbearealTash。Therestofithadlefthimnow。
Withasuddenjerk-likeahenstoopingtopi—TashpouhemiserableRishdaandtuckedhimuheupperofhistwhtarms。ThenTashturnedhisheadsidewisetofixTiriaerribleeyes:forofcourse，havingabird'shead，he'tlookatyht。
Butimmediately，frombehindTash，strongandcalmasthesummersea，avoicesaid:“BegoakeyourlawfulpreytoyourowhenameofAslanandAslan'sgreatFathertheEmperor-over-the-Sea。”
ThehideouscreaturevaheTarkaanstillusarm。AndTiriaoseeoken。
Ahehisheartbeatingasithadeninanyfight。
SevenKingsaoodbeforehim，allwiththeirheadsandallihes，buttheKingsworefinemailaswellandhadtheirswordsdrawnintheirhands。TiriaeouslyandwasabouttospeakwheoftheQueearedhardatherfadthehamazement，forhekwasJill:butnotJillashehadlastseehherfacealldirtandtearsandanolddrilldresshalfslippingoffoneshoulder。Nowshelookeddfresh，asfreshasifshehadjustbathing。Andatfirsthethoughtshelookedolder，butthendidn't，andheevermakeuphismindonthatpoint。AtheyouheKiace:buthealsowasgedasJill>
Tiriaawkwardaboutongthesepeoplewiththebloodanddustaofabattlestilloherealizedthathewasnotinthatstateatall。HewasfreshanddddressedinsuchclothesashewouldhavewreatfeastatCairParavel。（ButinNarniayoodclotheswereneveryourunfortableoheykomakethingsthatfeltbeautifulaswellaslookiifulinNarnia:andtherewasnosugasstarobefoundfromohetrytotheother。）
“Sire，”saidJillingforwardandmakiifulcurtsey，“letmemakeyoukheHighKingsinNarnia。”
TirianhadoaskwhichwastheHighKing，forherememberedhisface（thoughhereitwasfarnobler）fromhisdream。Hesteppedforward，sankononekneeaer'shand。
“HighKing，”hesaid。“Youarewele。”
AndtheHighKingraisedhimandkissedhimonbothcheeksasaHighKingshould。TheotheeldestoftheQueens—buteveold，andtherewerenograyhairsonherheadandnowrinklesonherdsaid，“Sir，thisisthatLadyPollywhotoNarDay，whenAslareesgrowaalk。”Hebroughthimoamanwhosegoldenbeardflowedoverhisbreastandwhosefacewasfullofwisdom。“Andthis，”hesaid，“istheLoryithheronthatday。AndthisismybrEdmund:andthismysister，theQueenLucy。”
“Sir，”saidTirian，whenhehadgreetedallthese。“IfIhavereadtheiclearight，thereshouldbeanother。HasnotyourMajestytwosisters?WhereisQueenSusan?”
“MysisterSusaershravely，“isnolongerafriendofNarnia。”
“Yes，”saidEustadwheneveryou&#ethertoeandtalkaboutNarniaordoanythingaboutNarnia，shesays，'Whatwonderfulmemoriesyouhave!Fancyyourstillthinkingaboutallthosefunnygamesweusedtoplayere。'”
“OhSusan!”saidJill。“She'sihingnylonsandlipstivitations。Shealwayswasajollysighttookeenonbeinggrown-up。”
“Grown-up，indeed，”saidtheLadyPolly。“Iup。Shewastedallhersewantiheagesheisnow，andshe'llwastealltherestofherlifetryingtostaythatage。Herwholeideaistoratothesilliesttimeofone'slifeasquickasshedthenstasshe。”
“Well，don'tlet'stalkaboutthatnoeter。“Look!Herearelovelyfruit-trees。Letustastethem。”
Ahefirsttime，Tiriahimandrealizedhowveryqueerthisadventure